Celebrate first RainWise stormwater system for a restaurant in White Center Oct. 4

A major milestone in ongoing efforts to control stormwater – one of the largest sources of pollution in Puget Sound – has been reached at a popular restaurant in White Center, where three new cisterns have been installed that will keep more than 11,000 gallons of stormwater out of the combined sewer system each year.

To celebrate this news, an Open House will be held on Thursday, Oct. 4 at Young’s Restaurant (9413 16th Ave. SW), starting at 4:30 p.m.

Here’s more from an announcement:

In this latest in a series of community projects, the RainWise Program has partnered with the iconic Young’s Restaurant in White Center to install three cisterns, each storing 530 gallons of stormwater from the restaurant’s roof.

The cisterns capture runoff from 2,838 square feet of roof area and store it for use – effectively keeping 11,145 gallons of stormwater out of the wastewater treatment system.

The local environmental nonprofit ECOSS helped Young’s owners navigate the process to access RainWise, as it has with numerous diverse businesses throughout King County.

At the Open House there will be refreshments and information on how to take advantage of RainWise rebates. The RainWise staff will share information about the program’s goals and benefits, and how to participate. Anthony (AT & P), the contractor who installed the restaurant’s cisterns, will offer insight on this installation and use of the stored water.

Anthony (AT & P) is one of ECOSS’s 16 multicultural contractors recruited through this efforts. For over a year, ECOSS’s Chinese- and Vietnamese- speaking staff assisted and supported Young’s owners and contractor through the RainWise process.

“I have neighbors and relatives who pass by and ask me, ‘What’s this?’ I tell them it’s a tank that collects rainwater that I can use to water my plants,” said Van Young, who along with his wife, Ella, owns Young’s Restaurant. “The RainWise Program helps pay for the cistern and installation – it’s a good program and it benefits our community.”

With the new cistern capacity at Young’s Restaurant, the RainWise Program now has more than 1,500 participants. By channeling stormwater runoff from over 40 acres of impervious rooftops to green infrastructure facilities such as rain gardens or cisterns, these properties are keeping over 20 million gallons of runoff annually out of the combined stormwater-sewer system, and controlling overflows in local water bodies during heavy rains.

The Youngs urge other businesses, faith-based organizations, neighbors, and community organizations in eligible basins to take advantage of this program. Property owners in the Highland Park and South Park neighborhoods and many others are eligible for RainWise rebates that can cover up to 100 percent of the cost to install a cistern or rain garden.

Besides beautifying landscapes, rain gardens help control stormwater – a significant source of pollution in local lakes, rivers and Puget Sound.

RainWise is a joint program of King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division and Seattle Public Utilities.